Florida Vietnam Vet battles to build American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial

Vietnam vet from Fort Lauderdale battles for national Disabled Veterans Memorial

By Mike Clary, Sun Sentinel
8:06 p.m. EDT, May 2, 2011


FORT LAUDERDALE— When Marine Corps 1st Lt. Jim Patrick came home from the Vietnam War in 1966, he had a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a shattered right knee that would give him 40 years of physical pain. But he did not think of himself as disabled.

"I was a Marine," said Patrick, 70, a family counselor for the Broward schools. "I was just glad to be alive, and I was glad to be back in the world."

In recent years, however, Patrick has embraced his dual identity. He is both a decorated warrior afflicted with chronic joint pain and post traumatic stress disorder, and an activist for a cause much bigger than his own recovery.

The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, an $86 million project scheduled to open in Washington, D.C., in November 2012, promises to become a national landmark. It will also serve as a tribute to more than 3 million living, disabled American veterans.
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Disabled Veterans Memorial